Tarrus Riley tops royalty earnings for 2015

Singer Tarrus Riley was the top earner for 2015, according to the Jamaica Association of Composers Authors and Publishers (JACAP).

The member-owned, not-for-profit organisation made up of music creators (composers and authors) and publishers is responsible for collecting fees and distributing royalties and all other monies to its members.

Based on their collections for the year 2015, Mr Singy Singy came out on top.

The announcement was made at the 2016 Open Mic Forum put on by JACAP under the theme 'Understanding the Rights and Benefits of Copyright'.

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Foreign music dominates Jamaican airwaves

Foreigners have been collecting the bulk of royalties paid over by local radio stations for playing music. This is according to Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers Limited (JACAP).

The entity's general manager Lydia Rose said JACAP collected $94.6 million in royalties in 2015.

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Gov't Extends Copyright Protection

 Nadine Sutherland sat expectantly in the gallery as legislators examined a bill brought by Industry Minister Anthony Hylton to amend the Copyrights Act. The bill, when signed into law, will see copyright protection being extended from 50 years to 95 years. Members of the House of Representatives recently concluded the debate on the bill which has been in gestation for more than a decade.

When Clerk to the Houses of Parliament Heather Cooke announced that the bill has been passed with two amendments, Sutherland, grinning from ear to ear, gave the two thumbs up to Hylton. He flashed back a smile as if to say, mission accomplished.

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JACAP Members Applauds Court Action

Several media houses are now before the Supreme Court, facing charges of breaches of the copyright laws. The lawsuits were brought against them by the Jamaica Association of Authors Composers and Publishers (JACAP), which represents over two million creators of music worldwide, including over 3400 Jamaicans.

The media houses before the courts include CVM Television Limited, Nationwide News, News Talk 93 FM, Grove Broadcasting Limited (IRIE FM & ZIP 103 FM), KLAS Sports Radio and Island Broadcasting Services Ltd. ‘Cease and Desist’ letters have also been written to Love FM, Sun City Radio, Mello FM, Bess FM, KC Gospel and Mega JAMZ FM.

In a statement, JACAP General Manager Lydia Rose noted that “The creators of Music are unhappy with the illegal use of their works and have mandated JACAP to take violators to Court for infringement of their copyright.” JACAP, which was established in 1999, has to date paid out over 180 million dollars in royalties to its members. The writer is not always the performer and whereas artistes earn from performances, writers and creators of music earn primarily through royalties.

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